


Ounce of Bravery

by Fanfictionwriter117



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky whump, Electrocution, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kind Handler, Pierce & Rumlow are dicks, Poor Bucky, Protective Handler, mind wipe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-09
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-28 17:37:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2741216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanfictionwriter117/pseuds/Fanfictionwriter117
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pierce orders the Asset to be wiped, but someone else sees him as a human being. Not a weapon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ounce of Bravery

Peter Reeds had been the Winter Soldier's handler for over 20 years. For the past 20 years he had prepped him for his assignments and missions. He had taken care of him when he was injured. He had explained clearly to him whenever he did not understand and he stood by his side whenever he went though the excruciating treatment of having his head wiped; his memories erased.

Every time his memories where taken from him he was confused and childlike. He did not understand what some things where. He sometimes did not remember where he was or who Reeds was.

He had taken care of the Soldier for over two decades and over that time he had come to care for him. He came to think of him like a son. A son who was dependant on him for almost everything; for food, water, clothes and medical care.

He took no pride in HYDRA or what it stood for. It disgusted him! What disgusted him even more was their treatment of the 'Asset.'

To Reeds, he was a human being. Not some reprogrammable machine. 

They treated him like he was inhuman, like he was a dog.

_Hydra's personal attack dog_

_The Fist of Hydra_

_The 'Asset'_

He had a name once.

He had feelings.

He _still_ has feelings.

In total the Soldier had 3 Handlers but Reeds was the one who spent most time with him. He spoke to him. He told him of the outside world.

When the Soldier returned from his latest mission, he was being escorted in by several armed agents, holding his damaged arm, his eyes dead.

Reeds knew that he would need to be patched up. His arm would need to be repaired for the next mission. For wherever they would send him next.

The agents shoved him roughly into the chair waiting for him while his Handlers got to work, one of them a technician. He was hooked up to an IV while they got to work repairing the delicate circuits of his left arm. He sat quiet the whole time, dead eyed and never speaking word. They were twenty minutes into their work before, without warning, the Soldier spun around, striking one of them with the fist of his metal arm. The strength of his prosthetic threw one of them across the room. 

Immediately all weapons were trained on the Soldier.

While one of his handlers ran over to aid the other who had been struck, Reeds went around the chair before the Soldier.

He knelt down, putting his arms on the Soldier's arms. The Soldier was sitting up straight, breathing heavily with both of his firsts clenched. 

He had ripped the IV out of his arm.

"Calm down" Reeds whispered, knowing that Pierce would be called in for his assault. The Soldier looked around the room before looking back at Reeds. There was some recognition in his eyes because he settled down, placing both of his hands down by his legs as he heard the other's whispering from outside.

" _Sir... He's-He's unstable. Erratic!"_

Reeds snorted.

_Unstable? That was funny._

The barred, iron door was opened and Pierce entered the room. He gestured for his men to lower their weapons that were trained on the Soldier. As Pierce came closer, Reeds got up off the ground, a hand still lingering on the boy's shoulder. He took his place behind Pierce as the older man tucked his glasses into his shirt pocket.

"Mission Report." He ordered, as protocol demanded.

The Soldier sat motionless, staring ahead of him with dead eyes. Reeds creased his brow. The Soldier would do well to respond. If there was one thing that Pierce did not tolerate, it was insubordination. 

"Mission Report, _Now!"_ There was a warning in Pierce's voice.

Still the soldier didn't respond, but continued to stare ahead of him. Pierce walked up to him slowly before bending down to have a better look at him. The Soldier didn't react. His posture never changed. It was as though he was in his own world. A world he was swiftly brought out of by Pierce's backhand to his face.

Upon hearing the sharp slap, Reeds' eyes clenched shut. 

_He hated the abuse!_

The slap, however seemed to work as the Soldier slowly turned back towards Pierce, seemingly unfazed by the stinging in his cheek or the notion that he had just been slapped.

"The man on the bridge…"

He remembered the man, the look of shock and disbelieve on his face. _Bucky?_

"...Who was he?" The Soldier asked.

"You met him earlier this week on another assignment." Pierce answered simply. That should be the end of the discussion.

The Soldier let his eyes drift from Pierce "….I knew him." He muttered, looking away. He sounded unsure of himself.

Pierce dragged a stool beside him so that he could sit that the Soldier's eye level. The sooner he put this to rest the better. The Soldier's eyes were once again focused on him.

"Your work has been a gift to mankind…you shaped the century. And I need you to do it one more time. Society is at a tipping point between order and chaos and tomorrow morning we're going to give it a push…"

The Soldier looked down to the ground. It was as if he did not want to do this anymore. He swallowed as Pierce continued "but, you don't do your part I can't do mine. And Hydra can't give the world the freedom it deserves."

And that should be the end of it. 

The Soldier looked quizzingly at Pierce "but I knew him."

Reeds closed his eyes. The Soldier sounded pittyful, much less the infamous Winter Soldier. A deadly assassin. Now, he sounded like a lost and confused child.

Pierce sighed, seeing that he not going to drop the topic. 

_Shame._

He got up off the stool, looking away from the Asset as he addressed his men responsible for the Soldier's care.

"Prep him."

The look on the Solider's face was one of someone who knew that they were not going to get the answers they were looking for.

"He's been out of CryoFreeze too long." One of the technicians answered, regarding Pierce's order.

"Then wipe him and start over." Pierce's order was final.

Reeds' eyes widened in horror. His eyes darted from the Soldier to Pierce.

The procedure of wiping the Soldier's memory was one of the most painful experiences he ever had to bear witness to and he had hoped that he would never have to watch it again. To see him in complete and utter agony and not being able to help tore him apart. 

He was being electrocuted. 

The kid didn't deserve it. He was remembering and he was curious as to what he was actually remembering. He hoped that Pierce could give him the answers he needed. 

_Not this cruelty!_

The Soldier's head dropped in despair knowing what was about to come, his hair falling into his face.

Pierce turned expectantly to Reeds, with a jerk of his head in the Soldier's direction who looked like he was barley keeping himself together, knowing full well what he was about to endure and the horror of knowing that there was nothing that he could do to stop it. 

_He did not make decisions._

_He did not have opinions._

He obeyed the commands of his superiors and he endured it. 

That was his life. 

It was a sad existence but it was the existence that was granted to him.

_He could wish for no better._

Reeds said nothing. 

He knew that it would help the boy. He spoke up then it would only make it worse for the Soldier. If he wanted to help he would be there for him and help him after the procedure was completed. When he would be little more than a vegetable, unable to talk, unable to walk with spit dribbling from the corner of his mouth.

He kept his head down as he walked up to the Soldier who did not look at him but at Pierce. He kept his eyes on him at all times even as Reeds put his hand on the Soldier's shoulder, pushing him back into the chair as Agent Rumlow and the others looked on.

Reeds pulled a black, rubber mouthguard from his pants pocket and held it to the Soldier's mouth who obediently opened his mouth to receive it.

_Like he was conditioned to do._

Pierce, however, observed it all; face like stone. There was no pity or sympathy for the Soldier. He was malfunctioning a little. A little glitch. Something that could be easily fixed. He was just there to see the job done.

Reeds was before a control panel which displayed the Soldier's vitals. He entered coding into the system which activated the metal clamps on the chair, they locked in synch around the Soldier's arms, effectively retraining him.

He would deploy the chair's coding and in doing so would activate the machine that would automatically move itself into position over the Soldier's head before clamping down on either side. 

As the metal clamps would descend over his head in a rotating motion, he would hyperventilate, he would shake, he would clench his teeth around the rubber mouth guard as he braced himself for the pain.

Then the electric surges would send over 1,000 volts to his head. What made it even more painful was that this procedure was organised. They electrocuted him, erased his memory, made him forget what they wanted him to forget. Knowledge like speaking in foreign languages and knowledge of weaponry were still embedded in his head. The machine targeted various areas of his brain and left others untouched.

It was beyond barbaric and these men simply stood and watched. How they could stomach it, how they could sleep at night after hearing those screams he would never know!

Reeds closed his eyes, bowing his head. 

_I can't do this..._

"Is there a problem?" Pierce asked, 

Reeds opened his eyes and seen that the hand hovering over the key was trembling. He swallowed the thick lump in his throat as he glanced over at the Soldier. The Soldier was looking uncertain as well. His brow was creased in confusion. He still had the mouthguard between his teeth but his chest was heaving and he was covered in sweat, Reeds could see it running down his forehead.

"Is there a _problem_?!" Pierce commanded sharply, wanting to know was this was.

Reeds shook his head "I-I'm sorry sir….I can't do this."

Pierce turned to face Reeds "I'm sorry?"

He couldn't back out now, "with all due respect sir…I can't go through with this."

_There, he said it._

And he'd regret it later.

Pierce regarded him with cold eyes. "Because?"

Reeds glanced to the Soldier, who was looking at him with pleading eyes, the mouthguard still wedged between his teeth, before regarding the secretary once more. "It's cruelty." He stated simply which made Pierce laugh as though it was the funniest thing he'd heard in his life.

 _"Cruelty?!"_ He was opening smiling, which made Reeds even more nervous. "Reeds, if a weapon malfunctions it needs to be fixed to function again. _Corrected._ " He could see Rumlow snickering behind Pierce, his arms folded.

_Well, fuck that guy!_

"Sir, he is a _human being_!"

" _It_ is a _weapon!_ " They did not even see him as a human being!

"He has _feelings_!" Reeds shouted. _Why did these bastards do this to him!?_

"It feels _nothing_!" Pierce yelled. Why couldn't this guy just do his damn job! The job _he_ payed him to do! 

"Because we _condition_ him! _We programme_ him to feel nothing! But he _does_!"

Pierce considered him for a moment. He looked to the Asset who biting his mouthguard in sheer nerves before looking back at Reeds, regarding him.

"Have him prepped by tomorrow. As you where, Gentlemen." And without saying another word, he turned and left the room, his agents following him.

Reeds could barley believe what he had just done but he did not regret it. He looked back to the soldier whose eyes were glassy from unshed tears. He was terrified. That machine had come inches to his head, electricity sparking from it as it was about to automatically clamp around his head.

He gently took the black mouthguard out of the Soldier's mouth, who let his mouth hang open limply, saliva drooling from the rubber.

He didn't look at the Soldier again as he released the clamps restraining him to the chair but he could feel the Soldier's eyes on him. Without even looking at him he could tell that he was staring at him, his chest still heaving from hyperventilating. 

He had saved him going through an agonising procedure.

"спасибо"

Looking back at the Soldier, he saw the young man's eyes bearing into his.

_Thank you_

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is a OneShot that I wrote ages ago so I'm uploading it here


End file.
